


Come Back

by FanGirl18



Series: TK/Carlos [2]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Carlos is a Good Boyfriend, Fluff, Gen, Good Dad Owen Strand, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23027827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanGirl18/pseuds/FanGirl18
Summary: Carlos and Owen just want TK to be alright, to come back to them. They love him and of course in true TK fashion when he does wake up he freaks out because he doesn't believe he deserves nice things. Luckily Owen and Carlos love him and are there for him.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Owen Strand, Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Owen Strand & TK Strand
Series: TK/Carlos [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652188
Comments: 4
Kudos: 191
Collections: 911 Fanfics





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The reference of TK freaking out is due to the summary for the finale. It said that Owen has to help TK come to terms with his past and future so I wrote a fic which features TK finally waking up, realizing he is loved and then freaking out.

It had been a week since life seemed to stop for Carlos, for Owen, and everyone at the 126. A week since a scared little boy made a mistake out of fear and shot a firefighter. A week since TK lay in a hospital bed from a gunshot wound not waking up and Carlos feels like he is breaking. He knows that TK wants slow, fearful from what happened before he loved here but he can't help falling for the young firefighter. Carlos knew he had fallen almost immediately, the eyes that screamed for love and affection, the mouth that sometimes doesn't know how to ask for it, the man who loves fiercely but has been hurt so badly he's scared. 

"He's a fighter," Owen says suddenly making Carlos look across at him, "He was born three months premature. He was so small he fit in the palm of my hand and I had never been more scared. The doctors tried telling us that he might not make it but I never gave up and neither did he. His mother, she tried she really did but I learned and so did TK that she just wasn't the motherly type. She loves him but she doesn't know how to show it and she still can't accept he's gay.

"When he came out she couldn't deal and that's when i got full custody. I didn't care as long as he was happy, even took him to a pride parade and he was so embarrassed especially with me around. I never liked any of his boyfriend's not even he-who-shall-not-be-named and seeing the way He broke my son's heart made me so angry. I wondered what was making him so happy since we moved here, I guess I know now. When I brought Buttercup into the firehouse it was really for him but he was scared to get close because he didn't want to lose anyone else, who knew it would be him fighting for his life."

Carlos lets silence fill the room feeling like there wasn't anything to say, that they could only wait for him to wake up. He just wanted TK to open his beautiful green eyes and come back to them so he could try his hardest to make sure he was loved. He barely hears Owen get up, probably going for more coffee or to update everyone, instead he gripped his right arm tightly. Carlos lays his head down on TK's shoulder seeing the way his chest rises and falls and tries to will him to wake up. 

"I love you and I'm sorry if you're not ready to hear that after everything you have been through. I need you to open those pretty green eyes of yours for me please even if it's to tell me to get lost. Please Tyler wake up," Carlos whispers.

He hopes that when the young firefighter does wake up he doesn't freak out again but at this point he doesn't care. Carlos will take TK freaking out if it means he wakes up, if it means he is safe and alive. He would take a freak out because it means Tyler is moving and he isn't lying in a bed still, something he is not. Carlos closes his eyes, welcoming sleep and dreams that he misses the hand softly squeezing his and the fluttering of eyes. 

*Come Back*

TK had woken up briefly to see Carlos sitting in a chair curled around him before falling asleep again. The next time he woke up he was more clear headed, welcoming the pain because it meant that they hadn't given him any narcotics and he was thankful that getting shot hadn't thrown away his sobriety. His eyes the room seeing that it's just Carlos here still and he sees the way the cop is still lying on his shoulder gripping his arm tightly sound asleep. TK honestly was surprised that he was still giving him the time of day considering how much he had screwed up in the beginning too afraid to let his heart be broken again but somehow TK found himself having fallen for Carlos not sure what to do with that but not willing to let it go not again. 

"He hasn't woken up yet Michelle and I don't know what to do," he hears his Dad's voice and looks to see him walking with Michelle into his room.

"Owen," Michelle says meeting his eyes but his Dad is still looking at her looking tired.

"Keep quiet," Owen tells her, ignoring her.

"Owen Strand shut up and look at your son," Michelle finally orders making his father frown.

TK laughs the pain making him cough and that seems to not only make his father look but also wake Carlos up something he hadn't wanted to do. Carlos is still processing being woken up when TK sees the moment he realizes why he was and his dark eyes light up gripping his arm tighter while his father practically runs to the other side of his bed placing a hand on his shoulder. He sees Michelle leave the room probably to grab a doctor but he only has eyes for them.

"Tyler Kennedy you aren't supposed to get shot I am," Carlos says trying to go for scolding but all it does is make TK smile.

"I knew there was a boy I didn't know it was him. I like him," Owen says, smirking.

TK groans about to make a sarcastic comment but before he can a nurse comes into the room with his doctor. He thinks, no he knows, that later he is going to have a major freak out about his feelings for Carlos he just hopes he doesn't freak out too badly. 


	2. Chapter 2

It had taken four days for the doctors to be comfortable enough to release TK from the hospital and a week later he was still staying with Carlos. Buttercup had become a permanent fixture refusing to leave his side, claiming him as his own and in that time TK did his best not to freak out but he knew it would come and on the two week mark from his release it finally did. All the fears he had about being inadequate, having his heart broken, being cheated on again, not being worthy of love all came to a head.

"You need to stop comparing me to your ex. Either you want to be with me or don't so make up your mind by the time I get back from work," Carlos yells storming out. 

TK isn't even really sure what started the argument, probably him making a comment about how his ex had been verbally abusive and it just spiraled from. He was lying on the couch crying with his dog curled around him, wondering if he screwed up because he always screws up. He knows that he loves Carlos but he also knows that the other man deserves better, that and his low self esteem doesn't help either. He hears the knock on the door and he quickly wipes his eyes knowing it is his father more than likely.

"What's wrong?" Owen asks, seeing his son and his red eyes.

"Don't want to talk about it," TK snaps at him and he moves lying back down on the couch pulling a blanket over him. 

Owen knows his son, likes to think he knows him pretty well and he knows that something is bothering him. He sees his little boy curled up, hiding under a blanket with Buttercup on top and the last time he saw his boy like this was when he came out and his mother reacted horrifically. The dog gives him a look as if telling him to make it better and he tries not to take joy in the way the animal has become protective, as if choosing his son as his own. 

"The last time you were hiding under a blanket like the world ended was when you came out to your mother," Owen comments kneeling down by the couch.

"Yeah well we know how that ended so just leave it alone," TK mumbles out.

"You need to stop using your past as a reason that you can't be loved and move forward son. Anyone with eyes can see Carlos loves you and you love him so you need to accept it," Owen advises guessing what the problem was. 

"Yeah and he deserves better than a fuck up who everyone leaves. Only person who hasn't is you and who knows since you have cancer," TK yells, peeking his head out looking like he wants to cry again. 

"I'm not planning on going anywhere Tyler Kennedy and neither is Carlos," Owen tries to reassure him by running a hand through his hair. 

Owen hears TK scoff and buries himself back under the blanket and he sighs. He sees Buttercup move him from his position on top of TK giving him a look as if to tell him he failed and he supposes in some way he did. He tried to make sure his son knew he was great the way he was, that he was loved but his ex wife and Alex did a good job at destroying most of TK's self worth. If Owen wanted to fix this then he needed to go to Carlos and if that meant threatening him some so be it. Which is how a couple hours later found him in his office with said officer looking like he wasn't doing any better than TK. 

"Heard there was a fight," Owen says looking at Carlos.

"Yeah," Carlos mumbled. 

Carlos had been feeling like shit all day and after he left he felt like maybe he had snapped and pushed too hard. He had been too afraid to even try texting or calling TK, wanting to cry then he had been basically ordered to see Owen wondering if it could get worse. 

"When people look at him they see this bright light, a bratty, confident person but he isn't that. I tried my hardest to help but any hope of my son having self worth was destroyed by his mother and later Alex. TK came out to his mother on a weekend, it was her weekend to have him, and to say she didn't react kindly would be the biggest understatement. I got home from work and I found him covered in a blanket fort. He refused to come out, to talk to me and so I called her, that's when I learned how cruel the world could truly be.

"She spent the weekend trying to send him away to a camp, you know what kind I'm talking about I don't think it needs to be spelled out. When he kept refusing she finally snapped at him, hitting him, telling him he should just die. I got full custody shortly after that but the damage had been done. It took me three days to get him to come out for anything other than the bathroom and when he did I took him to pride. I didn't care and even though he was embarrassed I saw him start to relax but as I said the damage had been done. Then Alex happened and that's a whole set of issues you mostly know about," Owen finished. 

"Is there a point?" Carlos asked processing everything. 

"I'm guessing my son without thinking compared you to his ex," Owen tells him, ignoring the question. 

"Yes he did. I made the comment about inviting you over for dinner and he responded that Alex hated you, didn't ever want to have dinner with you. I don't even know why I snapped. I just got annoyed," Carlos admits truthfully. 

"My son has a hard time accepting love. I think the one person he has been able to accept it from without question is me. He's trying and he loves you," Owen remarks to him, giving him a deep look. 

"I love him too," Carlos whispers looking him in the eye.

"Then please try to be patient. His mother and Alex still affect him, even after all this time I have never been able to ease what she did to him. Please try because I'm pretty sure if you don't you will have an angry dog to deal with," Owen finishes cracking a joke.

Carlos thinks on Owen's words the rest of his shift and he is thankful that there weren't any difficult calls knowing his mind wasn't working right. He had known that TK had low self esteem, could see it a mile away even with his mask of confidence, he just didn't think it went that deep. He knows he needs to be patient, TK warned him to be patient and he had promised he would but then he woke up from a bad dream angry at everything and it worsened from there. When he gets home he is met with the sight of TK bundled up under a mountain of blankets and a dog growling at him. 

"Tyler, can you come out? I don't think Buttercup would let me near you right now," Carlos says softly and the dog barks at him. 

"No," TK yells out, not moving.

"Please babe I need to talk to you," Carlos tries again going towards the couch stopping just by the arm where TK's head was resting. 

"Then talk," TK orders, sounding petulant. 

"I had a bad dream and woke up angry. I didn't mean to snap at you Tyler," Carlos says, wanting to see his green eyes. 

"Yeah what was the dream about?" TK asks like he doesn't believe him. 

"You left me for your ex," Carlos snaps out just wanting to see his face and he is growled at.

"Like that would happen. I might have low self esteem and think I'm worthless but I wouldn't go back to someone who cheated on me basically our whole relationship and wouldn't let me see my father," TK yells out to him moving the blanket so he can see his green eyes which are red. 

"I'm sorry I know I promised to be patient but sometimes it's hard. I love you, I want to be with you, it's just being compared to another man it upsets me," Carlos tries to get him to understand by kneeling down.

"I told you I was fucked up and you said you didn't care," TK croaks out his voice sounding rough. 

"And I don't but I need you to be patient with me as well. Just because I get angry doesn't mean I don't want you. All day I've been resisting the urge to call or text you because I knew once I did I wouldn't stop," Carlos admits to him. 

"I'm sorry too," TK whispers knowing he shouldn't have said anything about Alex, "Can we stop fighting now?"

"Yeah Tyler," Carlos says chucking. 

Carlos moves to get on the couch with his boyfriend when he sees the dog glaring at him, making him pause before the animal growls lightly moving out of his way. He holds back a laugh when once he is settled with TK wrapped around him, head on his chest he sees the Buttercup lay down across from the couch glaring at him. Carlos chuckles because even an animal believes TK is something precious when the man himself doesn't and he is just going to have to make sure to spend as much time as he can making sure the young firefighter knows he is loved because it is what he deserves. 


End file.
